On September 15, 2026, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Moscow City Duma and led celebrations dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky.
The temple is located in the historic building of the former Novo-Catherine Hospital at Petrovsky Gate, which is part of the complex of buildings of the Moscow City Duma. Alexander Nevsky Church has the status of a patriarchal metochion, belongs to the Moskvoretsky deanery of the Central Vicariate of the Moscow City Diocese and is affiliated with the church of St. Maron the Hermit in Starye Panekh.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was met by Chairman of the Moscow City Duma A.V. Shaposhnikov, Chief of Staff of the Moscow City Duma V. A. Timofeev, Head of the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of Moscow V. I. Suchkov and rector of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Marchenkov.
The celebrations were also attended by Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensky, the Moscow Patriarchate's administrator of affairs, First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, the personal secretary of His Holiness the Patriarch, V. R. Legoyda, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media, representatives of government authorities, deputies and staff of the Moscow City Duma.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated a prayer service at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. At the end of the service, Archpriest Alexander Marchenkov greeted His Holiness and presented him with the painting "Novokuznetsk Street" by artist A. F. Dvornikov, who took part in the painting of the temple.
Addressing the audience with His Primatial address, His Holiness recalled the persecution of the Church in the 20th century and stressed the importance of historical experience for modern society. The Patriarch noted that good goals cannot be achieved by unfair means: striving for personal or social well-being should not cause suffering to other people.
""There can be no achievement of good through evil," the Primate of the Russian Church emphasized. According to him, personal, family and state life should be built on moral and spiritual foundations stemming from the word of God.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill donated to the church a fragment of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky and an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
In recognition of the efforts to restore the Alexander Nevsky Church, the Primate of the Russian Church presented church awards. Chairman of the Moscow City Duma A.V. Shaposhnikov was awarded the Order of Prince Alexander Nevsky, II degree. Awards and Patriarchal diplomas were also received by the clergy of the temple, staff of the Moscow City Duma and participants in the restoration work.
Alexander Shaposhnikov thanked His Holiness the Patriarch for handing over the shrine, emphasizing that a particle of the relics of the heavenly patron of the temple was brought in the year of his 150th anniversary and the decade since the blessing for the restoration of the shrine.
After visiting the church, His Holiness the Patriarch inspected the photo exhibition "The 150th anniversary of the Church of the Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. The restored shrine of Moscow". The Chairman of the Moscow City Duma presented His Holiness with a book dedicated to the history of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
Then, the Primate of the Russian Church met with deputies and staff of the Moscow City Duma in the assembly hall. His Holiness the Patriarch addressed the audience with a speech on the life of the Church and society and the development of church-state relations in the metropolitan region. At the end of the meeting, His Holiness donated a collection of his works to the Moscow City Duma library.
The Alexander Nevsky Church was opened in 1876. During the Soviet period, its building was used as a workshop, boiler room and warehouse, and the historical interior was completely lost. In 2013-2015, the temple was renovated, restoring its original layout and architectural appearance. After the Moscow City Duma moved to the complex of the former Novo-Yekaterininskaya Hospital, church life in the temple was resumed. The minor consecration of the shrine took place on May 28, 2019.